Synonyms of psych (up)

psych (up) 1 of 2

verb

ˈsīk 

as in to brace

to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally

I have to psych myself up before every swimming competition

Synonyms & Similar Words

• brace
• fortify
• ready
• nerve
• strengthen
• steel
• prop (up)
• forearm
• buoy (up)
• cheer (up)
• poise
• reinforce
• arm
• enforce
• inure
• bolster
• comfort
• season
• sustain
• encourage
• inspire
• harden
• buttress
• rouse
• stir
• support
• rally
• boost
• hearten
• toughen
• embolden

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• discourage
• shake
• demoralize
• dishearten
• psych (out)
• daunt
• unnerve
• undermine
• soften
• undercut
• weaken
• dispirit
• tire
• sap
• prostrate
• debilitate
• enfeeble
• enervate

psyche

2 of 2

noun

ˈsī-kē 

1

as in soul

an immaterial force within a human being thought to give the body life, energy, and power

disturbing, enigmatic paintings that seem to embody the psyche of this brilliant but troubled artist

Synonyms & Similar Words

• soul
• spirit
• essence
• life
• vitality
• being
• quintessence

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• body
• flesh

2

as in mind

the part of a person that feels, thinks, perceives, wills, and especially reasons

a novel that explores the psyche of a depressed teen

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mind
• brain
• head
• intellect
• intelligence
• cerebrum
• skull
• thinker
• perception
• wisdom
• brilliance
• insight
• consciousness
• mentality
• wit
• awareness
• gray matter
• judgment
• reason
• alertness
• acumen
• noodle
• sagacity
• loaf
• cognizance
• astuteness
• perspicacity
• belfry
• self-consciousness
• self-awareness
• sapience

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of psych (up)

Noun

Pugh, also a series executive producer, found the humanity inside of Cathy, says Kazan, without defanging one of literature’s most complicated psyches. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 18 Aug. 2026

The image is whimsical, belying their instinct to flee the harsh world outside that tent, and through it, the audience gets to understand their psyche and innermost thoughts. — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026

What’s our relationship then, to this tech that increasingly looks set to entwine with our lives and psyches? — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026

Cities are unique milieus where millions live together at a peculiar rhythm which is intrinsic to the psyche of the city dweller. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026